1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a serial printer and a control method of a serial printer that retracts the printhead when the recording paper jams.
This application is based upon Japan Patent Appl. Pub. No. 2013-234713 filed on Nov. 13, 2013.
2. Related Art
A printer that conveys recording paper through a paper conveyance path past the print position of the printhead and prints on the recording paper at the print position is described in JP-A-2012-86509. The printer disclosed in JP-A-2012-86509 conveys the recording paper by a pair of conveyance rollers. The paper conveyance roller pair includes a conveyance roller to which the drive power of a conveyance motor is conveyed, and a follower roller that follows rotation of the conveyance roller. The printhead can move between the print position and a retracted position separated from the print position. A linkage mechanism that moves the follower roller in conjunction with movement of the printhead is disposed between the printhead and the follower roller.
In the printer described in JP-A-2012-86509, the follower roller is pressed against the conveyance roller when the printhead is set to the print position, and can nip and convey the recording paper. When the printhead is set to the retracted position, the follower roller separates from the conveyance roller. Therefore, when the recording paper conveyed through the conveyance path jams (a paper jam occurs), nipping of the recording paper by the conveyance roller pair is released by moving the printhead from the print position to the retracted position. As a result, the recording paper that is stuck can be removed from the paper conveyance path.
When the printer is a serial printer that moves the printhead bidirectionally at the print position in the transverse direction perpendicularly to the conveyance direction of the recording paper, it may be necessary to move the printhead in the transverse direction from the position opposite the paper conveyance path to a retracted position outside of the paper conveyance path when the recording paper jams during the printing process. Nipping of the recording paper by the conveyance roller pair that conveys the recording paper on the upstream side of the print position may also be released parallel to moving the printhead.
However, when nipping of the recording paper by the conveyance roller pair is released parallel to moving the printhead in the transverse direction, the recording paper can easily lift away from the print position toward the printhead as a result of the conveyance roller pair releasing the recording paper, and the recording paper can easily contact the printhead. When the recording paper and the printhead contact, the recording paper can damage the printhead when the printhead moves to the retracted position. Furthermore, if the printhead is in contact with the recording paper when the recording paper jams, and the conveyance roller pair is released from the nipping position parallel to the printhead moving in the transverse direction, the printhead will also move the recording paper transversely to the paper conveyance path when the printhead moves to the retracted position. When this happens, removing the recording paper from the paper conveyance path by moving the recording paper can be difficult.